By Adam Stone
The United States Department of Education (DOE) has been a cornerstone of federal education policy for decades, shaping everything from funding allocations to civil rights protections in schools. But with the current U.S. president openly pushing to dismantle the department, the future of American education is facing unprecedented uncertainty.
While the legal feasibility of such a move remains in question, the ripple effects are already being felt—massive layoffs, funding shifts, and policy rollbacks are disrupting classrooms across the country. As educators, students, and policymakers grapple with these changes, one critical question remains: What happens next?
EdTrust, a non-profit that advocates for equal education, notes that the department provides essential funding, fiscal oversight, and civil rights protections. They express concern that eliminating the DOE “is a disaster for students and families.”
Let’s look at the issues on the table, and how teachers and administrators can navigate them.
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What will be the potential impact on schools?
According to Loredana Valtierra, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, efforts to diminish or demolish the DOE “will be devastating to school communities on multiple fronts.”
For instance, “educators and students can expect to see a significant delay in the meaningful review of their discrimination complaints,” she emphasizes. And with the abolishment of the Office of English Language Acquisition, as Valtierra notes, “English Learner students and their teachers will now entirely lose critical expertise, research, and direct assistance for teacher training.”
Cuts to the Office of Civil Rights, on the other hand, will have the most impact on “students who need their rights protected, including those with disabilities, or those with complaints of discrimination based on race, gender, or religion,” remarks Shanon Taylor, associate professor of special education at the University of Nevada, Reno.
In the immediate term, “personnel cuts will inhibit the Department of Education from doing crucial work, such as administering Pell grants and higher education loans so students can attend college,” observes Hilary Wething, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute. This will also affect “schools [that] get resources to support the education of low-income children and those in special education programs through Title 1 and IDEA programs,” she explains.
Overall, K–12 schools risk losing federal guidance, support, and oversight. The foundation that has helped ensure equity for marginalized populations, including students with disabilities, English-language learners, and students in poverty, is crumbling.
Deep personnel cuts and the possible closure of the DOE will also have serious consequences for students in areas like education technology, cybersecurity, and digital equity.
As Keith Krueger, CEO of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) notes, “The elimination of the Office of Education Technology and lack of guidance, oversight, and funding will result in increased disparities… in student access to technology for learning.”
How can teachers make their voices heard?
During these uncertain times, experts say, teachers can and should be speaking out. There are many ways to do so, including:
- Engaging with the school board: Teachers should feel empowered to initiate conversations with school boards, to determine whether their district is prepared with policies and procedures in the face of newly emerging threats. “Have you been trained on what to do if ICE insists on picking up your students?” Valtierra asks. “How are districts proactively keeping parents and families informed of their civil rights?” It’s absolutely crucial that teachers are asking questions and demanding protection at this time, she says.
- Getting organized: Look for ways to unite and organize. “Many unions and professional organizations in education are working to create a cohesive message around the importance of the work at the U.S. Department of Education,” Taylor highlights. “It is a great time for educators to get involved in the policy arms of their professional organizations, and for parents to work with affinity groups that support the needs of their students.”
- Telling your stories: “Teachers have a powerful platform to impact both public opinion and policy discussions,” says Hayley Spira-Bauer, chief operating officer and chief academic officer at Fullmind, a company that provides virtual educators to K–12 schools in order to fill teacher gaps. “Social media and local community forums serve as additional opportunities for educators to collectively express concerns, share their stories, and illuminate the real-world effects of decision-making,” she explains.
- Tracking the consequences: According to Krueger, at CoSN they encourage teachers and school leaders to document and share with Congress “how these drastic staff reductions… will affect local and state digital learning initiatives.” For example, he notes that DOE personnel cuts will impact districts’ abilities to access the technical assistance and guidance meant to help all students utilize school technology.
- Leveraging the data: When it comes to educational impacts, “data tells stories, and we need our educators to share both the quantitative and qualitative data,” advises Marcela Andrés, founder and CEO at education consulting firm designEDengagement, PBC. Teachers who can deliver hard data on “measurable student success rates, funding impacts, and the imperative for an educated society will strengthen their advocacy.”
How can educators support each other through these changes?
Teachers will need to lean on one another during these turbulent times. “Teaching every day is hard work. There’s no way around it. And the current uncertainty only adds to the stress level,” says Jack Elsey, Founder & CEO of the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative. “Stop by each other’s classrooms. Go out for that cup of coffee on Saturday morning. Find ways to process the information you’re hearing, together.”
Here are some actionable recommendations, backed by experts:
- Build ties: “Educators should focus on strengthening relationships with each other and families to build regional coalitions that share resources, best practices, and advocacy efforts,” says Andrés. “This could look like cross-district collaborations…or even partnerships with businesses and non-profits that have a vested interest in an educated workforce.”
- Share resources: “Many guidance and resource documents that were once on ed.gov have already been taken down,” Valtierra says, “but many education organizations thoughtfully pulled those resources before they were archived and re-posted them for the public.” She advises educators to make sure they have those resources—and that their colleagues do too.
- Join a (virtual!) PLC: Professional Learning Communities, or PLCs, “are particularly well-suited to uncertainty, since they rely upon relationships, conferring agency rather than leaving teachers isolated,” says Spira-Bauer. “I’ve seen teachers come to rely more heavily on virtual PLCs for sharing how to tackle policy changes or interruptions.” For example, they can share creative solutions for keeping classrooms running and finding resources in a world where federal funding is unpredictable.
- Focus on training together: Teacher training “can serve as a catalyst of support amidst these changes,” explains Edgar Palacios, Founder and CEO of Latinx Education Collaborative (LEC), a non-profit supporting the advancement of Latino youth. The organization offers coaching and gatherings as part of teacher training. Aside from learning about classroom tools, LEC also encourages teachers to “have thought-provoking conversations and become mentors for each other,” Palacios adds.
- Don’t get behind on tech: Technological changes continue to impact the K–12 sector. “Without federal resources, educators must lean on one another to navigate these challenges and share best practices for cybersecurity, AI policies, and education technology implementation,” Krueger remarks. “The loss of federal leadership on education technology will slow us down, and it is critical that educators work together to develop strategies and policies.”
Any positive paths forward?
The situation may be grim, but things are far from hopeless.
The New York Times, for example, reported that in signing the executive order to begin dismantling the DOE, “Trump repeatedly stresses that funding for special education, high-poverty schools and Pell grants for low-income students would be ‘preserved,’ signaling he understood the legal landmines he could encounter.”
Experts say there are other glimmers of hope in the current darkness.
“As chaos reigns, so does opportunity. Uncertain times can often be fertile ground for innovation and challenging long-standing models of education,” Spira-Bauer remarks, noting that a reduced federal role could actually give schools more wiggle-room to test pedagogical or resource allocation models that align directly to the particular community’s needs.
As states potentially take on an even more prominent role as the drivers of education, they could perhaps forge new partnerships. “Over the years, we have seen non-profits, businesses, and philanthropic partners invest in our schools,” Andrés says. “Perhaps this could be an opening for leaders coming from different sectors to help reposition schools as the workforce and citizen development pipeline.”
If things do end up moving in this direction, “let’s embrace innovation, human-centered design, and research to fuel the redevelopment of an education system that our nation has never experienced before,” she adds, noting that education is about relationships—not only teachers and students, schools, and families, but also between communities and all other sectors. Keeping this at the forefront can help educators to weather this transition.
Overall, the current turbulence will perhaps open a window for more positive adjustments.
“Despite the uncertainty, educators have an opportunity to reimagine and reclaim the future of education,” Palacios reflects. “This moment can inspire deeper investment in local education systems, with states, districts, and private philanthropy stepping up to fill gaps.” Federal policies may shift, she notes, but the dedication of educators remains strong. “By embracing innovation, resilience, and collective action, we can push for an education system that prioritizes equity and opportunity for all students.”
Even amidst the chaos, some say that such a change is long overdue.
“Few educators would hold up how our country governs education as ‘the’ model for the world, so perhaps this is an opportunity to re-think what we want education in our country to be,” Elsey says. “Though, admittedly, that goal might be better served by a clearer process.”
While the turmoil at the Department of Education raise significant concerns, there is much that teachers can do to manage through the crisis. By supporting one another and seeking opportunities for positive change, it’s possible to stay afloat as the situation continues to unfold.
Adam Stone is a seasoned journalist with 20+ years’ experience. He covers education, technology, government, and the military, along with diverse other topics.
